Members of the Edo State chapter of Retired Senior Police Officers’ Association of Nigeria have petitioned the Inspector General of Police IGP over inability of members of the Police Cooperative Society to access their savings after retirement.
In the petition titled “Multi billion MULTI BILLION Naira Sleeze in the Nigeria Police Cooperative Society Limited: A Call for Probe”, which was deposited at the desk of the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ in Benin City, the officers alleged that billions of naira have been embezzled from the fund adding that Police retirees have not been able to access their savings.
According to the petition, “The purpose of the Nigeria Police Cooperative Society Ltd in the last few years has become a mirage due to alleged embezzlement and large scale corruption been perpetrated by the Police high command. This is to the detriment of innocent officers and men of the force who are unable to access their hard earned savings.
“It suffice to state that billions of naira have been brazenly embezzled by the Police high command without explanation and thereby making it a herculean task for both serving and retired officers to access their savings from the cooperative society which is the largest in Africa.
“Money is compulsorily being deducted from salaries of police men across ranks on monthly basis from source while officers also engaged in personal monthly savings ranging from N10,000 to N100,000 as the case may be with a view of getting same on the point of retirement from active service of the Police force.
“Regrettably, over the years, this laudable dream of officers and men have become a pipe dream due to corruption and colossal embezzlement of this funds running into billions of naira unaccounted for by successive inspector generals of Police and management teams”, the petition noted.
The Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police, Muyiwa Adejobi, on Sunday confirmed on his X handle that the police authorities had received complaints over the alleged mismanagement of contributions of policemen at the Lagos office of the Nigeria Police Cooperative Society.He added that the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, has set up a committee to review the activities of the Nigeria Police Cooperative Society generally in order to bring order into the society.